Assassin's Fate (The Assassin and her Dragon Princes Book 1)

by Ivy Clyde

  “Spank her ruddy buttocks!” someone shouted from behind us. Others chorused similar sentiments, the tavern breaking out in cheers. Nasty bastards!

  Norvin chuckled softly, his purple eyes glittering darkly. Leaning into me, he whispered, “When I get the chance I will.”

  My cheeks were warm as he pulled away from me.

  “This is becoming quite an adventure, isn’t it?” said Adal, exchanging a look with Cain.

  Cain laughed as I sat down on my stool. “Things are definitely livelier.”

  “What are you guys talking about?” I asked, looking between them.

  “Cain and I traveled the same road before, but we barely got any attention from anyone. Having you with us is a lot more exciting.”

  “It’s not true,” I said in a low whisper. “All the women here are staring at you.”

  “It’s nothing compared to the eyes on you, Daria,” said Norvin with a wink. “They’re all imagining how we use a sweet maid like you between us every night.” He leaned close to me. “You imagine the same, don’t you, princess?”

  “Shut up,” I said coldly. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or being sarcastic. My good mood vanished once more, reminding me to guard my heart around them.

  “Let’s get back on the road,” said Cain, getting to his feet. “If we ride for four hours, we’ll get close enough to Partaig. Rest the night and we’ll be there tomorrow morning.”

  “Oi! You lot,” said a lean man with a long, ginger beard. “Heard you going to Partaig.”

  “Yes,” replied Cain, tying his cloak around him.

  “Better avoid Carran on the way.”

  “Why’s that?”

  The man shook his head. “It’s plague-ridden. I heard the saintess is there but if I were you, I’d avoid it.”

  “Have you heard of such a thing, Cain?” asked Adal.

  “No. I haven’t heard a thing about it.”

  “Is it spreading here too?” I asked.

  The stranger shook his head. “It’s been three weeks now and the villagers are dying. The plague is contained within Carran. It better not spread here,” he said fearfully.

  “That’s interesting,” mused Adal as the man walked away.

  “What is?” asked Norvin.

  “Plague usually spreads. How is it possible that it’s staying concentrated in one place?” Adal glanced towards me. “What do you think, Daria?”

  I shrugged. “I am no expert in sickness.” But something I’d read a long time back came to mind. “However, if it’s some kind of disease, then there’s a chance it may spread through air or water.”

  “Precisely,” agreed Adal. “What’s more suspicious is that Princess Helena is here and you don’t even know about it.”

  “Who is Princess Helena?” I asked, never having heard the name mentioned before.

  “She is the princess of Drakhaven,” said Adal. “Her name is rarely connected to Ivan and his sons because she was adopted among them as a child. Also, she spent most of her life among the priestesses of Athelney. They say she has miraculous healing powers. The woman travels a lot from place to place, rarely setting foot in the palace. She has earned her reputation as the Healing Saintess.”

  “You’ve left out the most important fact, Adal,” said Norvin.

  “Please, don’t,” groaned Cain.

  “What is it?” I asked curiously.

  “She’s betrothed to Cain.”

  My heart came to a stop for a second before starting to beat hard again. I blinked, hastily pulling on a mask of indifference. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations!”

  Cain looked grim. “Have you lost your mind, Daria?” he whispered, leaning close to me. “I hired you to kill her father. What kind of nuptial are you congratulating me for?”

  “She is not as evil as him. Besides, she was adopted and goes around spreading health and joy.” My voice sounded bitter in my ears.

  “I vote we make a stop at Carran,” said Adal. “It’s strange she would come to Iorna and not send a message to you.”

  “Perhaps, she did but I am not to be disturbed in the temples. Remember?” said Cain.

  “Besides, if we go she will recognize me.”

  “Norvin and I have never seen her.”

  “Do you both want to see her?” I asked, already feeling annoyed the conversation about her was still going on.

  Norvin shrugged but Adal looked serious. “I want to investigate the plague and her. Norvin and I will pretend to be your guards while Daria can be your maid.”

  I scoffed. “The role I was born to play.”

  “Let’s do this,” said Norvin. “At least we’ll know whether the rumors are true and investigate the plague as well.”

  “What if one of us gets affected?” I asked. My sixth sense was already detecting some hidden ploy about the sudden plague in Carran. My anxiety grew. Nothing good could come from meeting the princess or visiting this cursed village. “We should keep our focus on the mission.”

  “Our journey won’t be delayed,” said Cain. “Carran falls on the road to Partaig. We’ll reach there in a few hours. It will be noon by then and we can look around and investigate. If nothing’s suspicious, we’ll be on our way by dawn tomorrow.”

  Defeated, I followed them out of the tavern.

  18

  We reached Carran by noon. Fields of wheat and corn grew around for acres in the valley with small cottages dotting the area. A warm breeze blew by, making the leafy branches sway overhead. From where we stood, it looked like a prosperous village, untouched by any plague or famine. It was hard to believe a sickness was festering here.

  “Doesn’t look too drab, does it?” said Norvin.

  “No. Let’s check things in the village,” said Cain, taking the reins.

  We rode the small distance from the edge of the woods to the village square. Gradually, we began seeing the effects of the plague on people. Every person walked with their head bowed, determined not to meet the gaze of the newcomers. Getting closer to the main square, we saw several sick people lying on the side of the dirt paths. Their clothes were ragged and dirty. Every so often, someone would vomit and cough blood. No one was there to look after them. Covering our mouths and noses, we moved on.

  A tall building came into view further up the street. I call it ‘tall’ because it was tallest structure among the wooden cottages surrounding it. The white marble walls glittered under the noon sun. A statue of Goddess Brigid stood in front of it. Carved of the same marble, her seductive figure was wrapped in flowering vines. At her feet, lay several people, looking visibly ill and weak.

  “This seems to be the gathering place,” said Adal, bringing his horse to stop beside ours. “Princess Helena must be inside.”

  “Let’s see what Cain’s bride looks like,” said Norvin, climbing off his horse.

  My insides felt frozen. I didn’t want to meet the princess or the saintess who claimed to be some miracle healer. It hurt to think some stranger had more right over Cain than me.

  When did you start feeling so entitled? I asked myself. You can’t blame Elga’s upbringing on this.

  No. It was Cain’s fault. And Adal’s. And Norvin’s.

  They treated me so well, it was almost impossible not to fall in love with them.

  Fuck! Did I just think of ‘love’?

  “Come on, Daria.” Cain’s deep voice jolted me out of my thoughts. Looking around, I saw they’d all dismounted. Cain came close, holding his arms out to me. “Come on.”

  I let myself fall into his arms as he helped me down the horse.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, bending a little to look me in the face directly.

  “Yeah,” I replied, flashing him a quick smile.

  “Let’s go, then.” Cain led the way forward. Adal and Norvin took their places beside him while I trailed behind them.

  The interior of the shrine was cool and dark. No sunlight entered the stone chapel. Oil lamps and candles burned in rows c
arved into the walls.

  People filled the central chamber. Their moaning and weeping filled the space with a strange buzz. We made our way through the praying and beseeching mass to reach the people crowding the center of the hall.

  “What is going on here?” Cain’s voice boomed all around the chamber. Everyone’s gaze fell on him at once.

  Cain stood tall. Even in his coarse attire, he looked handsome and regal. The length of his dark hair was tied with a piece of leather, and yet it appeared like an expensive jewelry. The crowd parted around us. Hush silence fell over the hall as people simply stared at him in awe.

  A soft tinkling sound broke the silence.

  All attention went towards the sound as a well-dressed young woman walked towards us. She wore a gown of red water silk that cascaded down her tall frame in billowy ripples. Ornaments of gold and rubies adorned her dark hair. Her face was pale but the lips were painted a bloody red, matching the color of the dress she wore.

  Coming closer, she let her gaze sweep over me, Norvin and Adal before settling on Cain. The annoyance in her expression slowly faded until she gasped in recognition.

  “Your Highness.” The people around us gasped loudly as she sank into a low bow.

  So, this was Princess Helena.

  “Rise,” said Cain in that regal voice. He was like a completely different person with that deep, emotionless voice.

  Helena rose to her feet. She smiled shyly, revealing sharp canines.

  “I am surprised, Your Highness. If I’d known you were coming, I would have received you in the proper way.”

  “How long have you been in Iorna?” asked Cain.

  “Over a month now,” said Helena.

  “Why didn’t you visit the palace and stay there?”

  She hesitated. “My maids brought news you were in seclusion and praying in the temples. I didn’t want to stay in the palace without you, Your Highness.” She looked up at him and a determined look came over her. “I will make sure to punish the maid who brought me the false information.”

  “The news isn’t false, Princess Helena,” said Cain. “The goddess visited me in my dreams and showed me the sickness spreading in my kingdom. I took a few of my people and came to investigate as per the goddess’s instruction. I am surprised to see you here.”

  Helena nodded, a sorrowful expression settling on her pretty face. “I was passing by this town when I heard the news of sickness. For the whole month, I’ve been tending to people here. Some get healed but many perish. I should be punished for my incompetence.”

  A distressed wail rose up from the crowd at her words.

  “Silence!” Cain’s voice boomed over them. Lowering his tone, he shifted his attention back on Helena. “What is this sickness?”

  “Allow me to show you, Your Highness.” Turning around, she walked forward. The silk of her gown rustled and the bangles at her wrists jangled with that delicate tinkle. Cain followed her, with us behind him.

  Helena stopped at the altar. Aside from the usual offerings of flowers and fruits crowding the site, a cot lay just below it. A young girl lay writhing on it, clutching her stomach.

  I moved myself closer, almost at Cain’s side.

  “She is the youngest person to be afflicted, Your Highness. Yori is only seven years old.” Helena pressed a hand on the girl’s forehead, making her moan out with pain. “I am doing my best to cure her but the goddess remains adamant. She is carrying the sins of her mother who worked at the brothel and died giving birth to her. The child may be innocent but her soul is maligned.” The crowd muttered under their breath and a few women even swore loudly. “I am failing to help her. Only the goddess’s blessing can cure her.”

  I looked back at the girl. A sheen of sweat coated her face. Thin hands clutched at her belly as she sobbed softly. My heart softened at the sight. While I believed in the divine energies, I knew they weren’t partial towards anyone. It didn’t matter who invoked them. Whore and assassin alike could wield them to their advantage.

  I walked past Cain and reaching the girl’s side, bent down on my knees. Taking one of her clammy hands in mine, I studied her pulse. It was erratic. Next, I pressed my fingers at her neck. The pulse was slippery and slow.

  Closing my eyes, I decided to feel the energy coursing through her body. In my mind’s eye, veins of indigo throbbed throughout her body. This is how things appeared when a person was poisoned. A disease would appear as a black miasma emanating at the heart.

  I opened my eyes and stared at the poor girl before me. Was it really a disease affecting her? Could she be poisoned from eating something she picked up on the ground?

  “Who is this woman?” Helena’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. Her eyes were cold as she stared down at me.

  “She is my maid,” said Cain at once.

  “You can trust her,” said Adal. “She is good with remedies.”

  “And who’re you?” She narrowed her eyes at him and Norvin.

  “They are my personal guards,” said Cain.

  I stood up and moved close to Cain. Suddenly, I felt cold fingers gripping my upper arm. It was fortunate I was quick enough to know it was Helena and not react by breaking the wrist that held me.

  “How dare you get so close to His Highness?” she seethed. She wrenched me backward. “Unruly maid.” She raised her hand to slap me but Cain stopped her at once, wrapping his fingers around her wrist.

  “If you have any grievances towards her, you will report to me,” said Cain in a low voice but the warning seeping out of it was palpable. “Only I get to punish her.”

  Helena looked stricken. She let go of me immediately.

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” I said and moved to stand behind him. My gaze remained fixed on Helena now. The demeanor of the shy, hesitating princess was gone. Somehow, my approaching the sick girl had forced her mask away.

  “I must apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness,” said Helena with a tilt of her head. “There are still a number of people who’ve come to see me and get the goddess’s blessing. I must go back to tending them.”

  The crowd chorused hymns and thanks, some even going as far as to shower Helena with petals of flowers. Helena smiled warmly at them, the perfect image of a benevolent saintess.

  “Then I shall not stand in the way,” said Cain, turning around to walk out of the hall. The crowd bowed low as he passed by.

  Adal, Norvin and I followed him out of the temple. Since the people on the street outside didn’t know his identity yet, they simply ignored us.

  “What do you think, Daria?” asked Adal in a low whisper. “Did you find anything while checking on the girl?”

  I nodded. “She’s poisoned. But the rest of the people, I am not sure…”

  “Check them,” said Cain. “Now that the people know who I am, they will keep a close watch over me. Adal and Norvin. Stay with Daria.”

  “We will.”

  “I will let Helena’s maid escort me to wherever she’s staying. I am sure it won’t be difficult to find me.”

  “We’ll find you,” I promised.

  “Stay on alert,” said Norvin. “This princess is not as coy as she’d have us believe.”

  “No,” agreed Cain. “I am going to stay close and find out what she’s been up to so far.”

  We’d barely had a few minutes to talk when three maids in similar red uniforms appeared before us. Their clothes weren’t silk and the difference in fabrics was visible even though they’d been dyed crimson.

  “We serve the princess,” said one of them. “She commanded us to look after your every comfort, Prince Cain. We have been instructed to take you to Her Highness’s dwelling.”

  Cain glanced at us before turning his attention to them. “Lead the way.”

  When they were out of sight, I turned back towards Adal and Norvin. “I don’t like this place,” I said, looking at the people that lined the street. They looked haggard, all clutching onto their thin bellies as they groaned or vo
mited. “Worse, I feel you’re all in danger here.”

  “What kind of danger do you detect, Daria?” asked Adal.

  “Helena already recognized Cain. That’s dangerous enough. What if she recognizes you too?” My gaze stayed longer on Norvin. The emperor’s men would be here in a moment’s notice to capture him if they identified him.

  “Don’t worry about me,” said Norvin. “I am dead to them. As far as Adal is concerned, they aren’t concerned about a prince who spends his days locked in the palace’s archives. They will not recognize any of us.”

  “How about we check some of the people here?” said Adal. “Their symptoms look the same as that girl’s.”

  “Not here,” I said. “Let’s get to another part of the town where her people won’t be watching us.”

  We walked away from the village square to look around the other parts of the village. While some people moved about their chores, looking perfectly healthy, there were others visibly suffering from intense stomach aches and vomiting everywhere.

  We were near the edge of a wheat field when the sounds of heaving floated towards us. A tall man was doubled over and vomiting at the foot of a tree.

  “Gross,” muttered Norvin.

  “Let’s check him,” I said. “There’s no one around here.”

  “Why him of all people?” asked Norvin. “Why not someone who isn’t puking out his guts.”

  Grabbing his arm, I turned him towards the man. “Look at him. Other than the vomiting, he looks fine. He’s tall, well-built, big arms and hands. He’s clearly a farmer. His crops are doing well enough. Why is he sick then? I find it strange…diseases will generally spread faster among the poor.

  “Let’s go speak to him,” said Adal. “We can get some information on Helena as well. Hear whatever rumors are flying around the town.” He strode forward, leaving us to follow him as he reached the man. “Let my friend take a look at you, brother,” said Adal, bending beside him.

  “Is she one of the saintess’s maids?” he asked, casting a narrowed gaze at me.

  “No. Look at her,” said Norvin, pushing me forward. “She ain’t wearing bloody red, is she?”